The Night James Brown Saved BostonThis is a the title of a fantastic documentary covering a momentous concert in Boston, the night after Martin Luther King Jr's assassination. I wrote a bit about it a while back, and managed to score a copy off Amazon a few months back. It's an riveting tale recalled by the people who were there, and now it has come out on local release here in NZ, with a bonus disc of the Boston concert included. And it's only $25. Go get it immediately.

The blurb sez "April 5th, 1968 - the morning after one of the most catastrophic moments in American history: the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. America’s inner cities are imploding and in Boston there is a fragile peace.

The Mayor of Boston is about to cancel a long-scheduled James Brown concert to avoid confrontation, a potentially incendiary move, but after warnings [from the only black City Councillor] he has a change of heart and asks, “Is there something James Brown can do to help?”

Directed by award-winning writer-producer David Leaf ("Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and The Story of SMiLE" and "The U.S. Vs. John Lennon"), "The Night James Brown Saved Boston" tells the story of that amazing night, this DVD also features rarely seen footage of the Godfather of Soul’s concert, plus personal reminiscences from those in attendance. The second disc includes the Boston concert in its entirety – James Brown in his absolute prime!

As Oliver Wang says, "I think there's a conventional wisdom that Brown was a shrewd opportunist - which he was - but in an era of such remarkable strife in America, Brown also tried to step up in the social realm as well and while he certainly wasn't the most consistent of activists (see: endorsing Nixon, oof!), is complexities help make him a richer character study; something this documentary drives how very, very well. To boot, it has superior production values and some incredible footage of the time."

From VH1's synopsis.. "Mayor White wants to know if JB will encourage his fans to stay home and watch the concert on television. In so many words, the mayor is saying, "If you'll allow this concert to be on TV tonight, your fans in Boston (code for ghetto class African-Americans) will stay home and the night will be peaceful."

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Get liquored up, kids"After 13 long years, 14 studios and a gazillion dollars [kid thinks he's Axel Rose] the highly anticipated first EP from St Liquor-ish, formerly and simultaneously Jellphonic, is ripe.St Liquor-ish first solo EP - "The Lick" smashes jagged beats with sacred subjects such as sex and hating with subtle undertones of grace and pornography.

Collaborations for the EP include the smooth vocals of Lisa Preston on "The Junk" and the Electron Don, Zackey Force Funk on "Money Sack".The man behind St Liquor-ish, Mr Jellphonic funk, original rapper for New Zealand band The Shades and beat maker with a 7" release on Japanese label Wonderful Noise.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

"...Acclaimed DJ/Producer, J.Period, and rising Somali-born MC, K’NAAN, are pleased to announce a unique and powerful remix project, paying tribute to the lasting legacy of these musical giants. Weaving afro-beat, reggae, ska, folk music and rock into this genre-bending musical experience... [and] remixing the classic work of Fela, Marley and Dylan, The Messengers captures the timelessness of their sounds and the continued urgency of their messages. "

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

RIP Michael Viner As Ian at Different Kitchen puts it... "He produced the seminal breakbeat anthem, "Apache" by The Incredible Bongo Band. If you're not aware of the importance of this record, just go kill yourself, seriously.... " He's got the tune for DL too. plus Remembering Michael Viner, The Man Who Recorded “Apache” [Rolling Stone]

See me goSimon Grigg has been writing a series of very entertaining posts over at Amplifier to coincide with the digital re-release of a swag of tunes by the Screaming Meemees, all lovingly remastered too. Simon ran their record label Propeller and begrudgingly became their manager. Read Part One here.

Excerpt.. "In July 1981, with a single about to be released, we all headed off on the now legendary Screaming Blam-matic Roadshow with other Propeller bands, The Newmatics and Blam Blam Blam, touring the campuses of the nation. In Christchurch the test pressings of the 7" single [of See Me Go] arrived, and we were shocked to find that Festival's marketing manager had taken it upon himself to remix the A side...and it was utter garbage. I made a quick call to the studio, to Festival's production manager, and to the pressing plant and within a few days the offending mix was assigned to the bin and the Snoid mix was on the A side. To this day Festival's errant marketing manager, who went on to be MD of a major record company, doesn't know, or couldn't tell that his mix was dumped..." From Part Two.

Simon talks about the reissue process... from Simon's blog... "This week I’ve uploaded (or to be exact, asked to have uploaded) a 2009 remaster of the, if I say so myself, classic 1982 Screaming Meemees album, If This Is Paradise, I'll Take The Bag . We’ve added a few extra tracks, the singles and one off bits that helped define one of the biggest New Zealand bands of the 1980s, including See Me Go, the first NZ single to go to number one. It’s available on Amplifier, and shortly on iTunes and eMusic. And maybe in a physical format at some stage, but that’s increasingly unlikely..."

Simon goes on to lament that his original plans for a flash CD package alongside the digital release when he started this process some three years ago have fallen by the wayside... "How things change. Today, the CD format is really only loosely required on a package like this.... [when it comes to reissues] You are more likely to see a return from a reverently packaged and pressed vinyl edition in 2009 than a CD."

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Record store robbed by long-time customer, armed with prog rockIn case you missed this on the TV3 news... "An opportunistic thief has robbed Christchurch record store Penny Lane Records of cash, armed only with a copy of a classic Pink Floyd album.

“I know some people do some pretty stupid things but this, I would have thought, is pretty up there,” says Garry Knight of Penny Lane Records. The thief left more clues about his identity than just a penchant for prog-rock.

Besides having his every move captured on CCTV, the thief has been a regular customer for years – even leaving his name and phone number in the past to order albums.

He did it again with The Wall just before the daylight grab. “He put it aside and left all his information,” says Mr Knight. “I’m struggling to work that one out, I really am.”

Al Bell - Out of Exile, Back in Soulsville "As the peacock-blue Cadillac with the gold trim and fur lining spun on a giant turntable in the Stax Museum of American Soul Music here, Al Bell, the final owner of the late, great record label, chuckled.

Decades before 50 Cent with his customized Rolls-Royce and Akon with his tricked-out Lamborghini, there was Isaac Hayes with this pimped-out ride, an over-the-top gift from Stax to its over-the-top star, who wore slave chains like emancipatory bling across his bare, buff chest.

“The reason I chuckle is because I think of what has been born out of the rap and the hip-hop world, and then I look at what we were doing back then, and, you know, we were really ahead of our time,” Mr. Bell said. ... earlier this summer Mr. Bell was invited back to Memphis with a bittersweet mandate: to resuscitate the city’s once great music industry as chairman of the Memphis Music Foundation." Read in full here, on NY Times.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

There need to be more songs about pizza.Here's why. Checked out Sal's Pizza this evening (see previous post), had the pepperoni. It's so, so good! And they do these things called Garlic Knots ($1 each, $2 for 3), little balls of doughy goodness coated in garlic, so yummy.

Got chatting with the guys running it. I mentioned the whole NY water quality thing, and turns out that if you check those global tables on water quality, NY and AKL are in the same position, pretty much right near the top - our water compares favourably.

One of the guys took 6 litres of AK water and flour to NY to Sal's original pizzeria in Queens NY, to test the Kiwi ingredients and see if they'd stack up. He said he was amazed he got the Kiwi ingredients thru US customs - I'm kinda surprised they pulled that one off. Anyways, they spent a week at Sal's Pizza in Queens making pizzas with the Kiwi ingredients and no-one could tell the difference. Ciaran said it really is an urban legend about the NY water quality - it comes down to the quality of your ingredients overall. Tho he did say it might be a bit harder to pull off say in somewhere like Shanghai (with their water).

Oh, they have their own delivery vehicle - a segway. And there's not very many songs about pizza. Might have to write one. And eat more of Sal's awesome pizza.ADDED: Sal's Pizza, 4a Commerce St. Auckland City, phone 09 379 7257. Open Mon-Sun, Midday until late

Correction: Nick at Sal's Pizza "when I took up the water, we used all NYC ingredients, except for the NZL water, with the exact same results- and this is what we use here in Auckland for the same NYC taste."

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

All about pizzaI was having this random conversation via Twitter today with a fella from LA (Jon from LASnark) - he asked the question "Anyone know that LA pizza place that supposedly imports their water from NY to make authentic NY pizza?" I've heard many great things about NY pizza from places like Lombardi's, so, what is the deal?

So, bit of searching uncovered some stories which I fired his way, including this article from the LA Times on the best place to get NY style pizza in LA (turns out the importing water story is urban legend).

Then I found this link to an LA pizza place that import Massachusetts water, which led to this story about a recent blind taste test where three pizzas were made, one with LA water, one with Chicago water, and one with NYC water. All four of the tasters preferred the NYC pizza (read the comments there for more on the special qualities of NYC tap water, the special ingredient in NYC pizza).

So, that's great and all if you live in LA, but I'm in Auckland. So where is the best NY style pizza in our burg? Looks like I'm gonna have to check out Sal's Pizza in Commerce St. Ciaran, a former resident of Queens, NYC, has opened up Sals - he based it on his favourite local spot back home, also called Sals. You can read all about it over here, on Frank Liew's blog.

Excerpt: "10 years ago he approached his favourite local joint in his neighbourhood - Sal’s Pizzeria in Queens to talk about opening up shop outside of NYC

For one reason or another it didn’t happen back then, but over the years he kept the thought in the back of his mind - and last year when he was back home he went back to Sal’s with his idea, who ended up giving him their original recipe, the same recipes they’ve used for all their pies since they opened in 1975.

Funnily enough, they didn’t want anything for it, just to share good pizza with the world, so in return he named his own joint after them. Sal’s Pizza, Auckland New Zealand."

Ciaran added this to the comments on Franks blog', talking about how he got started with Sals... "Nick (my business partner who I met playing tennis in the south of France 15 years ago) came to visit NYC for New Years 08′ and has always loved the pizza in NY. After downing a couple large 18″ pizzas (on consecutive days:) he kept saying how good it would be to have pizza like that in Auckland. After that conversation, we did a bit of research and decided to go for it…"

Liquid Liquid live in NYCLegendary 80s outfit Liquid Liquid played in New York a few days ago, at the Lincoln Center alongside a performance by Rhys Chatham with 200 guitars, more here. If you know Melle Mel's 'White Lines', you know Liquid Liquid - thats their tune that got sampled by Melle Mel (with no subsequent credit or monies...)

review snip... "The members of Liquid Liquid haven’t been playing together regularly for more than 25 years. They reunited at NYC’s Knitting Factory in 2003 and got together again last October at the Barbican Centre in London. But they sounded amazingly tight and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

All four band members seemed energized and totally engaged — thrilled to be performing before an appreciative hometown crowd. The sound was crisp and the beats were just as hypnotic as the day they were created. People in the audience who saw Liquid Liquid in the Eighties were amazed that the players had barely aged and hadn’t lost a bit of their drive." review and photo from Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? Blog.

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Horse Meat Disco - bonus mixThe official blurb sez "inspired by the halcyon days of New York nightlife including Mancuso’s Loft, Nicky Siano’s Gallery and late lamented DJ Adam Goldstone, Horse Meat Disco's legendary parties attract a discerning mix of old time disco heads, club kids, bears and naturists and has become renowned as a space where heterosexual disco fans can party at a gay disco club without feeling out of place. The club's open-minded ethos has secured them bookings worldwide with international crowds keen to sample the Horse Meat Disco party energy." So there ya go.

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Rocksteady: Roots Of Reggae (movie trailer)

Featuring Hopeton Lewis, Judy Mowatt, Ken Boothe, Leroy Sibbles, Marcia Griffiths, U-Roy, The Tamlins and more. "The premise, that the "remaining great singers and musicians of Jamaica's Golden Age of music, Rocksteady, come together after 40 years to record an album of their greatest hits, to perform together again at a reunion concert in Kingston, and to tell their story", is kind of like a reggae version of The Buena Vista Social Club."

Anvil metalI still havent managed to catch the doco on Canadian metallers Anvil (must rectify that), but this story is really rather cool. Have a read.

Via Brooklyn Vegan:Last year's doc Anvil! The Story of Anvil made audiences fall in love with Toronto's hard-luck metal band, which never stops despite a list of misfortunes that would fill a book, including a European club owner who tries to pay the band in goulash. But last Tuesday the band - singer/guitarist Lips, drummer Robb Reiner and bassist Glenn Five - found itself playing for 40,000 people. Let Lips explain how it went:

"I was thanking him as he shook my hand saying "great show, great show!" He then shook my son's hand as he was being whisked away in his SUV. Wow! I had just met Angus Young, lead guitarist of the mighty AC/DC. It was such an honour to be able to thank him in person for his big heart and generosity for letting Anvil have an opening slot at the biggest and most meaningful show we've ever done in America..."

Sunday, August 02, 2009

Concrete jungleThe Specials finally played in Auckland last night, 30 years since they formed. Took them long enough to get here, so just as well they were worth the wait.

I saw two double-decker party buses pull up in the carpark, with ska music blasting away, and hordes of ska-happy old bastards spilled out, skanking down the aisles and off the buses. As one of my mates commented, he didn't feel like to oldest person there. I saw hardly any young ska kids - a few smattering of studded mowhawk punk teens tho.

After waiting outside for the doors to open in the Logan Campbell Centre (when will this godawful venue mysteriously burn down?), the crowd milling outside made their way in, where they were greeted my huge queues waiting for service at the bar. It appeared there were three barstaff in total trying to serve a few thousand thirsty ska fans. One of my mates queued for about 20 minutes and gave up. Bit of an organisational failure, that.

Saw Stinky Jim, in the foyer with a bag of records: he'd had the pleasure of playing a few tunes as one of the support DJs (followed by an MC chatting with Terry Hall's son Felix DJing). He made some comment about how without the Specials (and other acts), he wouldn't have become the Stinky Jim that he is today, and also something about how nice it was to hear accents for good part of England!

Check out this gent below, was wearing a shiny silver suit, and had his hat embroidered for the gig. Classy. Surprised that more folk didn't make the effort to dress up. Plenty of pork pie hats tho.

So, inside we go (after bumping into a million old faces from the past). Bang on 930pm, on come the band, playing behind a white curtain backdrop, which falls away to revel them in front of a huge SPECIALS banner. Songs - everything you could want to hear off the first two albums, plus Ghost town and a few covers (54-46 was my number, Longshot Kick De Bucket).

First impressions - they manage to jump around for a bunch of old gits. Cept for grumpy Terry Hall. He loiters at the back of stage when not singing, and checks his watch a lot. Having said that, he was in fine voice, and even managed some droll stage banter between songs. For example: "So, we've been here for three days now, and when we got here, I checked the guide book, to see what there was to do, and you've only got like two or three fookin things to do - walk across a bridge, or jump off a fookin building. So if anyone knows of something in to do here, please let me know, seriously." Later, he suggested to the audience that "I know something we can do - how about someone come round tomorrow and do my dirty laundry?"

Still, he seemed to be having a miserrable time, while the rest of the band were bouncing around and giving their all. I heard later from someone closer to the action on stage that he was constantly checking his watch, sniping at Neville Staple, and giving off a very strong "I dont wanna be here" vibe. Okay, so he's in this for the money - fair enough - the rest of the band want a payday too (they didnt write the songs, so that makes sense) but Hall made a career and built his reputation on the back of this band. He just seems churlish. At one point he said on the mic, "Fookin hell, its 5 past 10 already" but that might've been a clever intro to Friday Night, Saturday morning. Or not.

Anyways, the mirror ball came out for the intro to Niteklub, then towards the end we got Ghost town (complete with trombone solo - they'd bought a horn section with them), which was brittle, gloomy, monstrous and just stunning. It was the only song of the whole night that moved beyond reproducing the records and became something quite extraordinary. Gotta say too, Roddy Radiation is a mean guitarist.

Then the encore, Too much too young, 54-46, Longshot kick de bucket, (during which the horn section are joined by two young kids to skank alongside them - huh?) and Enjoy Yourself to close. Give the people what they want.

Then, off to round two of Sat Nite Nostalgia Fest - The Newmatics at the Bacco Room (pictured above). After DJ sets from Printor and Benny Lee, the band took the stage to a full house after midnight. They blasted thru all their records and a handful of earlier punky numbers. Some of the tunes had aged better than others - Riot Squad and Doobie Do Boy still sound fresh and vital. They threw in a handful of covers (Soulman, Land of a thousand dances, which they used to do back in the day) and a version of T-Rex's Get it on, which didn't quite come off. Still, they acquitted themselves well, giving the songs the needed vigour to make them spark. Bloody good show!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Interview with Neville Staples of the Specials.Next Saturday marks the first time ska band the Specials have visited NZ. They're currently on a 30th anniversary jaunt, (minus founding member Jerry Dammers). Today's Sunday News has a rather amusing interview with band member Neville Staple. He seems a tad confused.

"... Staple admits he didn't exactly jump at the chance to rejoin the guys who pioneered the 2 Tone genre. "I wasn't really bothered because I was doing my own thing and I was with my own band," Staple tells the Sunday News. "To be honest touring with The Specials will give me and my band a bit more exposure. And I need the money. A lot of people say they don't do it for the money but it does come in handy."

Hang on, this is the same Neville Staple who toured NZ with is band in 2006, billing himself as Neville Staple's Specials. Can you say Cash-In? Ha ha.

Anyway, he's written a book about his life, and will be doing an instore signing 2pm this saturday at Real Groovy Auckland. He's got 8 kids from 6 different mothers, so go help him out and buy his book.